Saviour of a Species
by chris400ad
Summary: Newt Scamander had always done what others thought ridiculous and reckless, but this time he attempts the impossible. The resurrection of the Alicorn. The final hurdle? The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and the future Madam Bones. What could possibly go wrong?


"We are here today to discuss potential classification and validity of new creature," there was a small pause as a piece of paper was hastily handed to the speaker. "Number seven hundred and sixty six. Now, as I am sure you are all aware, this is a very delicate case as the aforementioned creature has been classified as extinct for over two thousand years."

Newt Scamander,famous magizoologist and well-renowned nuisance to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures; shifted uneasily in his chair. Sat all around him were witches and wizards who had all spent their careers campaigning against his work. What he had done was for the good of their species; he'd saved them from extinction. The committee didn't quite see it that way, he could feel it from their snide looks and disapproving whispers.

The committee sat round him in a small semi-circle, leaving him in the centre of the room as if he were somehow on trial. On one end sat a young woman with cropped hair, the only person Newt didn't recognise - though the small plaque before her identified her as Amelia Bones, DMLE. At the back of his panicking brain, he began to wonder just what business a young representative from Magical Law Enforcement had at a Magical Creatures classification meeting. Although, he supposed this was no normal meeting.

"We will first hear from Professor Silvanus Kettleburn," the speaker, Tobias Abbott, continued. His brilliantly plumed moustache twitched in aggravation. It was days like these that Newt realised why he preferred his creatures. He readjusted his grip on the battered case beside his chair, before sliding it under, away from prying eyes. Bones frowned but after a quick glance, said nothing.

There was an awkward silence, followed by the scraping of chairs as someone got up and hurriedly left the room. Newt didn't look. Instead, he kept his gaze firmly above Abbott's head.

Only when Kettleburn limped into view did Newt acknowledge the man. He was lean, well-built and underneath his finely tailored robes missing an arm. A leg too. He smiled amiably at everyone, looking as though this was just another day to him. Did he realise the importance of his words.

"Professor Kettleburn," Abbott began once everyone was back in their seats and one had been procured for Kettleburn. "For the benefit of this committee: you are the current Care of Magical Creatures professor at Hogwarts school, is that correct?"

"Quite so," Kettleburn beamed happily. Past his head Newt spotted Margaret Seaworth staring at his leg. "Although, not much use for me these days. Kids are more interested in the Dark Arts than anything I can show them. Still, I like to think that with a few years we can -"

"A simple yes will suffice, Professor." Abbott cut in irritably.

"Oh. Yes then."

"And could you please tell us about Mr Scamander's proposal?"

"Well, I'm sure that Newt – I mean," Kettleburn stammered after a harsh look from Abbott, "Mr Scamander, would be best placed to tell you the details of it. However, I can provide some background of the Alicorn itself."

Dramatically, he cleared his throat as if he was presenting to a class of first-years rather than senior members of the Magical Creatures Department.

"The first reported cases we have of this magnificent beast were from muggle sources. They reported to have seen a winged beast prancing the dales. In fact, it even became a legend of sorts, although they prefer to think of it as a Pegasus. A winged horse that flies through their skies and is stead to the gods.

Sadly, their version has lost the rather distinctive horn which made the Alicorn so beautiful. To call it a winged unicorn would be a disservice, I think. It was so much more. Its horn, for example, could be powdered and used as the main ingredient all number of healing potions and so forth. In fact, it was because it was so useful that we rather foolishly hunted it for so long. Until, of course, it was too late."

"To clarify then, this species is extinct."

"Oh, quite so. There have been no sightings, no records of it for millennia; more even. What Newt – I mean, Mr Scamander, has done is quite remarkable. To recreate such a creature is a marvel, a – a miracle even."

"If it really is the same creature," Ingus Proctor interrupted snidely from Abbott's left. He glowered at Newt from behind his half-moon spectacles. "Who's to say this thing is even real?"

"Well you, surely? Or is that not the point of this little circus?" Kettleburn grinned.

A cacophony of shouts erupted from the room. Proctor spluttered in disbelief and amongst the chaos Newt caught the small wink from his old friend. He couldn't help but smile, if only a little.

"Enough!" Abbott roared, banging his fist on the table. "Thank you, Professor Kettleburn. That will be all."

"Very good!" Kettleburn beamed before springing from his chair with more grace than anyone with one leg had any right to. "I'll see myself out."

Organised muttering followed Kettleburn out of the room, like they had been expecting him to behave like that and were somehow enjoying the show. There were so few authorities and experts on magical creatures that Kettleburn must have been brought to dozens of cases like this. He had no idea what they whispered behind his back. He was an actor in a play he didn't even know was performing.

"We will now hear from Mr Scamander," Abbott pronounced loudly, silencing the committee. "After which point, any questions can be asked to him before we proceed to our judgement. Miss Rathbone, if you would be so kind as to bring in the creature, we will begin."

A small, blonde woman from the edge of the horse shoe rose to her feet and shuffled out of the room. Newt couldn't bear to look as the cage was levitated in. Nothing like that deserved to be caged. There had been no other choice, but that stop the mournful calls twisting like a dagger in his heart. The cage came to rest just behind him, taking up the centre of the semi-circle. The committee watched on with begrudging interest. Another low, sad whimper urged Newt to his feet.

"I just want to calm her down," he explained, not waiting for approval as he turned to face her. She was beautiful, dark red feathered wings lay folded at her side as she sat, unable to fly in her prison. Sorrowful eyes looked back out at him from the beneath the large horn that spiralled into a point, small crystals sparking all over it.

"It's alright, they won't hurt you." Newt murmured, extending into the confines of her cage. Slowly, he brushed against her muzzle. After a moment she calmed a little, resting her head against bars.

"If you are quite finished, Mr Scamander?" Abbott interrupted. "I would hope that we can resume the task at hand."

"Of course," Newt nodded. He knew better than to deliberately antagonise them. Not if he wanted to the Alicorn to survive, anyway. Hesitantly he stepped forwards, glancing at every face that looked his way. "What would you like to know?"

"How a creature that should have been dead for two millennia is currently sitting before us, would be a good a start, don't you think?"

"It was… well… I had an idea. There have been some muggle studies that I've found quite fascinating. You see, they have that we are all made up of a certain genetic code. These codes govern who we are; from our hair colour to how long we may live. Some even suggest that it's possible that it may even inform our likes, our dislikes, wants, dreams, fears – to name just a few. And that got me thinking that perhaps, if you can change someone or something's genetic code then perhaps you can create something entirely new; or in this case old. So I began with unicorn DNA. They are descendants, so -"

"So you worked backwards, altering it until it became what you wanted?" Bones assessed calmly, ignoring the stares that came her way.

"I think we'll ask the questions, Miss Bones." Abbott snarled bad-naturedly.

"I am simply trying to understand if Mr Scamander has broken any laws, Mr Abbott."

Newt froze. He hadn't thought of that.

Abbott suddenly appeared far more interested. A smile emerged from underneath his moustache.

"Then please continue, Miss Bones."

"My question, Mr Scamander, is how this creature came to be?"

Newt could feel his heart racing.

"I found the answer in the unicorn, then I used its DNA to trace backwards and extrapolated."

Bones nodded, all eyes focused not on Newt, or the Alicorn, but on her.

"In short, you revived the creature exactly as it was?"

"As close I can be for certain, yes."

"And could you make more?"

"If given enough time, yes. Though I would prefer to only create a few, you see, it would be to its benefit to reproduce naturally. I had hoped that we could no longer call this creature extinct, or even endangered. It's beautiful, and we lost it because of our stupidity."

"Well, Miss Bones?"

Silence fell over the assembled committee. Even the Alicorn lay still, waiting in bated breath as the young Auror considered the evidence placed before her. Dark eyes bored into Newt's, in their depths he saw the darkness she had seen, but also a glimmer of something else.

"Had Mr Scamander simply spliced together two creatures to obtain his result, then I would recommend the destruction of this animal and the arrest of Mr Scamander. However, as what he has done is to retrieve rather than falsely create, he has broken no law."

Abbott sighed, and so did Newt. One of disappointment, the other of relief.

"Very well, Mr Scamander this committee will debate the details of this case and you will be notified of the result in due course. Should you attempt to interfere in anyway, or retrieve this, _Alicorn_ , from our possession then you will deemed in contempt of this committee. Do you understand?"

Newt nodded hurriedly, seat beading on his forehead.

"Good. If we need you for any more questioning, you will receive an owl. Dismissed."

On shaky legs, Newt retreated from the stuffy room, consigning the fate of an entire species to the whims of people he didn't trust. He hoped they could see why he had done what he had, and that Alicorn deserved to be saved from the pages of history.

Days dragged by as Newt retreated to his study. Surrounded by books on fabulous creatures, fantastical beasts and everything in between. There were days he would have loved to be lost in their pages, but every time he opened them they reminded him of the Alicorn. He barely left the room, if only to feed the various animals he had roaming his house. The more dangerous he preferred to keep in his briefcase, for fear that there would be those who would not understand them. Had he not been waiting on an owl, he knew he would have lost himself in there.

In the end word came not with an owl, but with a knock at his door and the young Auror he'd met at his trial.

"Miss Bones?"

"Mr Scamander," she nodded politely. Unlike at the trial her hair had been pulled back into a tight ponytail. Practical and efficient. "The committee had intended to deliver these papers to you by owl, but I asked if I could do it personally."

"Why?"

"Call it professional interest," she said with a stony expression. She slipped a hand inside her robes and produced an envelope, sealed with the wax symbol of the department. It stayed, tantalisingly out of reach, for only a second and then she offered it to him.

"I hope you think to look me up before you think to do something stupid next time, Mr Scamander."

"You think it's stupid?"

"I think there's a fine line between bravery and stupidity, do try to stay on the right side."

And with that she vanished. Feverishly, and unashamedly, Newt tore open the letter, discarding the envelope to the floor and scanning through to the information he desperately sought.

 _Species: Alicorn_

 _Official Ministry Designation: XXXX – Dangerous/requires specialist knowledge/skilled wizards may handle_

 _Status: Previously extinct, now endangered._

Newt couldn't help but smile, they had done the impossible.

He had done the impossible.


End file.
